Upcoming Events

7th ESO-ESMINT-ESNR Stroke Winter School will take place from 28 – 31 January 2020. ESO, together with ESMINT and ESNR, endorses a winter course for young stroke physicians and neuroradiologists on the topic of acute interdisciplinary stroke treatment. The primary goal of the ESO- ESMINT-ESNR winter school on acute interdisciplinary stroke treatment is to join European young stroke physicians and young neuroradiologists in order to enhance interdisciplinary management of patients with acute ischaemic stroke. A series of concentrated high quality teaching sessions and courses on acute stroke management will be offered at a low price. The secondary goal of the winter school is to perform “hands-on” courses for interventional neuroradiologists and special teaching sessions for stroke physicians. The winter school offers a unique method of teaching. Combining plenum sessions, discussions and technical training, it fosters improvement in treatment of cerebrovascular disease and advance research in this complex field, leading to technical developments.

Further information available here.

The SPHeRE Network 6th Annual Conference will take place in RCSI, 25 Feb 2020 (09.30-17.00). This annual conference creates a space for dialogue between all interested stakeholders in the field of Population and Health Services Research throughout Ireland and Northern Ireland and showcases existing studies which will be of interest to Irish policymakers and practitioners. The theme of the SPHeRE Network 6th Annual Conference is “Data to Policy”, and the specific role of population health research and health services research in evaluating the impact of data on policy and practice. The confirmed keynote speakers this year are:

• Professor Mary Dixon-Woods, Director of THIS Institute/The Health Foundation Professor of Healthcare Improvement Studies in the Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge
• Dr Lorelei Jones, Lecturer in Healthcare Sciences (Healthcare Improvement), School of Health Sciences, Bangor University
• Professor Cathal Walsh, HRB Research Leader in Health Decision Science, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Limerick

This conference will be of interest to anyone involved in Population and Health Services Research, Policy or Practice in Ireland and Northern Ireland including healthcare professionals, health and social care managers, patient and citizen groups, universities and research institutes, government and voluntary sector agencies.

Please see the SPHeRE website here for more details, including the call for abstracts and registration.

To date, the HRB-TMRN has funded eight SWATs investing €110,000 in developing this initiative nationally. In 2020 the network will provide further funding for one SWAT award. This award is worth up to €25,000 (to include 25% institutional overheads of direct project costs), up to one year duration, and will provide for the implementation of a self-contained methodological research study in a planned or an existing randomised trial. This funding is available to research teams in University College Cork, NUI Galway, Trinity College Dublin and University College     Dublin.  There are no eligibility restrictions for the lead applicant (e.g. previous grant holder) and early stage career researchers are welcome to apply, provided that the trial Principal Investigator supports the application and appropriate mentoring arrangements are in place. The closing date for the application is March 6th 2020. Further details here.

Evidence Synthesis Ireland and Cochrane Ireland are running a a workshop in Dublin, Cork and Belfast focused on writing a systematic review.

This workshop provides authors, at the beginning of the Cochrane systematic review process, with an in-depth understanding of how Cochrane reviews are structured. It offers an insight to the development of a Cochrane protocol, introducing participants to Cochrane methodology, search methods, data extraction and meta-analysis. This workshop also includes an introduction to RevMan software and its use during protocol development.

Skill level: Introductory

Target Audience: Healthcare professionals, academics, researchers, decision makers and Evidence Synthesis Ireland fellows who have identified a review topic and are ready to begin working on their protocol.

Prerequisites: Have a basic knowledge of health research. Are interested in learning more on the methodology of a review. Participants are requested to install the RevMan software and bring their laptop to the workshop.

Please note: due to recent changes in the Cochrane handbook, this training content and dates are subject to change. To view ESI cancellation policy click here

Further details available here.

The application process for the SPHeRE PhD Programme will open from February 2020 for i) individuals applying for funded and self-funded positions; ii) Supervisors/Principal Investigators with an alternative funded Scholar who wish to apply for inclusion of their candidate on the Programme free of charge. The SPHeRE PhD Programme in Population Health and Health-services Research (PHHSR) aspires to cultivate world-class researchers through a four-year structured PhD Programme. This can also be undertaken over a longer time period on a part-time, self-funded basis. The Programme welcomes applicants with an interest in carrying out research on population health and/or health services in the Irish context and from a wide range of academic and clinical disciplines. SPHeRE HRB funded scholars benefit from i) 8-week specialist rotation in Irish health related agencies in the first year; ii) placement with a prestigious overseas agency to further PhD project development in the second or third years; iii) professional skills training allowance; iv) travel funds for training and international conferences; v) an annual stipend of €18,000, a laptop computer, and PhD fees. The deadline for individual applications is 17th April 2020, while applications from Supervisors/Principal Investigators are being accepted on an ongoing basis. Further details can be accessed here.

The 1^st European Stroke Rehabilitation Workshop will take place on 12 May 2020 before the joint ESO-WSO Conference, in Vienna, Austria.

This workshop focuses on cutting edge clinical and research aspects of stroke, inviting renowned stroke rehabilitation specialists as well as early career colleagues, and is organized under the auspices of the ESO and its Neurorehabilitation Committee.

Please note that the ESO Workshop is on application only and participation is limited.

During the workshop, renown European stroke rehabilitation specialists will share their knowledge with stroke physicians, therapists and nursing professionals. This stroke rehabilitation workshop addresses

• Stroke recovery and it’s underlying mechanisms
• Stroke rehabilitation guidelines for the clinic and research
• The importance and execution of standardized outcome assessment
• The added value of kinematic outcome assessments for stroke recovery
• The application of technology in stroke rehabilitation

The participants will discuss the most recent research and innovative technologies for the rehabilitative treatment of stroke with a faculty of experienced European speakers and have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with standardized outcome assessments.

Who should apply?

Stroke physicians, therapists and nursing professionals with an interest in neurorehabilitation

All applicants are expected to be ESO members or to have applied for ESO membership (junior membership application – up to 35 years, free of charge – is available here).

The ESO Stroke Neurorehabilitation Workshop bears costs of meals and coffee for participants and speakers. Participants cover their accommodation, travel expenses, the dinners outside the usual program and any personal expenses during their stay including telephone and internet costs from the hotel. Accompanying persons are not permitted.

How to apply?

Interested applicants are requested to complete the application form (download here).

The European Stroke Organisation (ESO) is a pan-European society of stroke researchers and physicians, national and regional stroke societies and lay organisations that was founded in December 2007. The World Stroke Organization (WSO) has a mission to reduce the global burden of stroke through prevention, treatment and long term care. WSO is approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a non-governmental organisation for official relations. Join the ESO and the WSO for their jointly organised stroke conference in Vienna, 12-15 May 2020. This is your opportunity to be part of a new level of collaboration across Europe and the World.

Organised by Evidence Synthesis Ireland and Cochrane Ireland, this workshop on systematic searching will be delivered over 2 days by Carol Lefebvre. Carol Lefebvre is an independent information consultant and was previously the Senior Information Specialist at the UK Cochrane Centre from 1992 to 2012. She now focuses on teaching and consultancy in information retrieval for evidence synthesis, such as systematic reviews, health technology assessment and guideline development. She is Co-Convenor of the Cochrane Information Retrieval Methods Group and is lead author on the searching chapter of The Cochrane Handbook.

Aim

This workshop provides an opportunity for those who undertake their own searches for evidence syntheses, and those how work with librarians/information specialists on the study identification, to learn more about the process of searching for studies for evidence syntheses. It addresses many of the key aspects of searching for evidence syntheses, in particular how this differs from searching for routine clinical practice/everyday questions.

Teaching strategies

The workshop will consist of a mixture of short presentations, small group and plenary discussions, together with practical exercises. The number of participants for the course is limited to 25.

For more information, and to register, please click here.

Evidence Synthesis Ireland and Cochrane Ireland are running a a workshop in Dublin, Cork and Belfast focused on writing a systematic review.

This workshop provides authors, at the beginning of the Cochrane systematic review process, with an in-depth understanding of how Cochrane reviews are structured. It offers an insight to the development of a Cochrane protocol, introducing participants to Cochrane methodology, search methods, data extraction and meta-analysis. This workshop also includes an introduction to RevMan software and its use during protocol development.

Skill level: Introductory

Target Audience: Healthcare professionals, academics, researchers, decision makers and Evidence Synthesis Ireland fellows who have identified a review topic and are ready to begin working on their protocol.

Prerequisites: Have a basic knowledge of health research. Are interested in learning more on the methodology of a review. Participants are requested to install the RevMan software and bring their laptop to the workshop.

Please note: due to recent changes in the Cochrane handbook, this training content and dates are subject to change. To view ESI cancellation policy click here

Further details available here.

Evidence Synthesis Ireland and Cochrane Ireland are running a a workshop in Dublin, Cork and Belfast focused on writing a systematic review.

This workshop provides authors, at the beginning of the Cochrane systematic review process, with an in-depth understanding of how Cochrane reviews are structured. It offers an insight to the development of a Cochrane protocol, introducing participants to Cochrane methodology, search methods, data extraction and meta-analysis. This workshop also includes an introduction to RevMan software and its use during protocol development.

Skill level: Introductory

Target Audience: Healthcare professionals, academics, researchers, decision makers and Evidence Synthesis Ireland fellows who have identified a review topic and are ready to begin working on their protocol.

Prerequisites: Have a basic knowledge of health research. Are interested in learning more on the methodology of a review. Participants are requested to install the RevMan software and bring their laptop to the workshop.

Please note: due to recent changes in the Cochrane handbook, this training content and dates are subject to change. To view ESI cancellation policy click here

Further details available here.